


Bright His Eyes As Any Star

by Marlon



Series: Storm Passes Away [8]
Category: Brooklyn (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Day At The Beach, Established Relationship, Getting a New Pet, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-21 03:07:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14275602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marlon/pseuds/Marlon
Summary: A day at the beach is just what Jim and Ben need and springtime in Enniscorthy brings fine weather, renewal, and a new little friend to the Farrell-Organa household.





	Bright His Eyes As Any Star

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written in two parts, two years apart and I had to do a bit of re-working the opening pages to make the story fit in better with the new timeline and circumstances I've recently established in Jim and Ben's world. Thank yous to TheCopperRiver and KyluxTrashBin for their excellent editing suggestions, and ChristophInTheNightSky for being the first reader and biggest support!
> 
> Come and see me on tumblr if you want to know more about the music associated with this story, or just want to yell about these sweet boys.

Warm early morning light filters weakly through the gaps in the drapes, painting the room in a soft yellow glow. Splashing along the floorboards and up onto the bed, the playful sunlight snags on the bright strands of gold and auburn on Ben’s head, making him look angelic. Jim cards his fingers through Ben’s tangled curls and presses his lips to Ben’s forehead causing him to sigh, but not wake, as he snuggles closer. Jim wraps his arms tighter around Ben’s shoulders and lets his gaze drift absently around their room. 

Their room. It was more than just a bedroom now, it was their sanctuary. A place where they could strip off the day and outside world, with all its restrictions, and just be themselves. Where they could be gloriously naked, as they were now, and where lips and fingertips could press and glide down backs and over the luscious curves of hips. Or where they could simply snuggle together in bed to read or listen to music.

From the sturdy oak furniture, darkened with age, to the heavy floral drapes that keep out the light and prying eyes, their bedroom is cozy and comfortable. The worn floorboards are covered in various plush rugs to keep the morning chill from their feet. Even though Jim hadn’t really bothered to redecorate it after his parents moved out, the dark wood and richly coloured fabrics suit both his and Ben’s sensibilities. On the bureau between the two large windows, Jim’s record player is precariously balanced beside a selection of well-loved vinyl records - Ben has a habit of taking the old Victrola with him from room to room so that the house is always overflowing with music.

Looking down on the man nestled in his arms, Jim smiles. He gently brushes the hair back from Ben’s forehead and presses another kiss to the sleep-warm skin. Ben arches into him in a full-body stretch, his long feet peeking out from beneath the mounds of snowy-white linens covering the bed, his toes flex and stretch with pleasure. Then just as quickly, Ben relaxes against him with a dreamy sigh and pulls his feet into the blankets, tucking them in between Jim’s calves.

Jim gasps a little at the touch of Ben’s cold toes but he clamps his legs tightly over Ben’s feet to warm them faster. He feels Ben smile against his shoulder followed by the press of cool, slightly chapped lips dotting kisses across his skin. Jim rubs his cheek against Ben’s head, revelling in the feel of those dark locks against his face.

“Good morning, Ben.”

“Jim,” Ben stifles a yawn, “it’s too early to be awake.”

“Not that early.” Jim tucks a stray lock of hair behind Ben’s ear and caresses his hand down Ben’s neck to his shoulder.

“It’s Sunday,” Ben observes as he leans into Jim’s gentle touch. “The bar is closed.”

“Yes, it is.” Jim agrees, dragging his hand down Ben’s arm to tangle their fingers together. He raises their joined hands to his lips for a kiss.

Ben hums happily and mouths at Jim’s shoulder. “Are you going to church this morning?”

“Yes, of course. I should start to get ready, I don’t suppose you’d care to join me in the bath?”

Ben rolls over and insinuates himself between Jim’s legs. Wrapping his arms around Jim’s waist he rests his chin on his stomach and gazes up at Jim with a bright, fond smile.

“I’d like nothing better, but people might talk if you miss three Sundays in a row.”

Jim grazes the backs of his hands up over Ben’s cheeks and traces his fingertips over the shells of Ben’s ears. Cupping his face, Jim pulls Ben up for a kiss. “People do little else around here.” He whispers against Ben’s smiling mouth.

“Don’t I know it.” Ben grins as he leans up to kiss Jim again before rolling off him.

Jim sighs a little at the loss of Ben’s comforting warmth and weight. He stretches deeply before reluctantly pushing the blankets aside and shuffling out of the warm bed. He retrieves his green bathrobe from its hook behind the bedroom door and pauses in the doorway, one hand on the door frame, to look longingly back at the bed. Ben lowers his chin to rest on his crossed forearms and smiles softly at Jim. The blankets wrap low around his hips and do nothing to preserve his modesty, for Jim can still see every delightful curve of Ben’s hips and backside and the long, strong lines of his legs and all the way down to his toes, which are wiggling with pleasure at having Jim’s attention. Ben waggles his eyebrows a little and nods towards the door. Jim smiles ruefully and with a lingering glance, leaves the room to begin his morning routines.

\----

Jim opens the wardrobe and pulls his favourite pale blue shirt off the hanger and slip it over his narrow shoulders. He smiles at Ben in the mirror as he buttons up the shirt and guides the braces up and over his shoulders. Finishing with the shirt, Jim adjusts his tie, a lovely deep blue with tiny sunflowers embroidered in gold, when the bed springs creak and the covers rustle and then Ben’s warm weight leans against his back.

Ben slides his fingers under the braces along Jim’s back and untwists them so they rest flat against his shoulder blades. With a soft hand on his hip, Ben turns Jim to face him.

“Here. Let me.” 

He plucks the tie from Jim’s hands and proceeds to tie a perfect half Windsor knot. He tugs at the knot so that the tie is centred and then runs his palms down Jim’s chest to smooth out the silky fabric. He carefully adjusts the collar of Jim’s shirt and gazes up at him from under his lashes.

“You look very handsome, Jim.”

Jim lays his hands over top of Ben’s as he murmurs his thanks. Ben brushes his hands across Jim’s shoulders and down his arms, straightening and fussing with his shirt so that it flows smoothly over the lines of his body. He laces his fingers with Jim’s and raises their joined hands to his mouth, but instead of placing the kiss on Jim’s hand, he presses his lips to the pulse point in Jim’s wrist. Closing his eyes, Ben mouths several searing kisses to the inside of Jim’s wrist before releasing him and buttoning the cuff of Jim’s shirt. Jim’s stomach flutters as he sways toward Ben, lips parted. Ben fixes him with a mischievous look and bestows the same worshipful kisses to Jim’s other wrist then reels Jim in for a kiss.

“You expect me to go to church after all that?” Jim giggles as he kisses his way along Ben’s jaw and down his neck.

Ben sighs happily and tilts his head to the side to give Jim space to nibble his way to his ear. He slips his hands around Jim’s waist and tugs him even closer.

“I can’t help it.” He whispers, wriggling with pleasure as Jim caresses his hands down Ben’s back to play with the fold of fabric around his hips. “You’re entirely too kissable, it’s really all your fault.”

Jim slides his free hand into Ben’s tangled curls. “Allow me to make amends then.” He guides Ben in for another kiss with a gentle tug on his curls. Ben groans as Jim manages to work his hands beneath the soft sheet bunched at Ben’s hips to slide them down and cup them around Ben’s rump. Ben laughs as Jim begins to slyly tug the fabric down. He steps away and Jim lets his fingertips reluctantly trail away over Ben’s warm skin.

“It’s so hard to leave you, if only for two hours.” Jim laments. “Are you sure you don’t want to come to St. Aiden’s with me?”

He’s helpless to stop the burble of laughter that slips out at the slightly pained expression on Ben’s face.

“You know I’d do anything for you.” Ben gathers Jim’s hands to himself and presses a kiss to the thin gold band on Jim’s right hand. “But a full Catholic mass is too much.” He shudders extravagantly.

“So that’s a no then?” Jim frees a hand and dances his fingers over Ben’s collarbones and up his neck, tickling along his jaw. “Help me with my jacket, will you? The sooner I’m off, the sooner I’ll be home.”

Ben reaches around Jim and into the wardrobe to extract the suit jacket. He holds it open for Jim, who slides it on and over his shoulders. Ben grips the lapels, encouraging Jim to lean in for one more parting kiss.

“Alright, off you go,” Ben says with finality as he buttons up the jacket for Jim. “But hurry home, I have a surprise for you later.”

Jim cups Ben’s face, brushing his thumb over his lips, eyes softening when Ben lipped little kisses to the pad of his thumb.

“Ben, you don’t need to give me anything.” He slips his other hand around Ben’s neck and draws him down so he can rest his forehead against Ben’s. “You already spoil me too much as it is.” Jim surges up to kiss Ben fervently all over his face while Ben laughs. “I should be showering you with gifts everyday instead.”

“Jim, I’m happier here with you than I’ve ever been, anywhere, in my entire life.”

They were both silent then, letting their eyes and hands trail over each other. Finally, Ben steps back and tugs the lapels of Jim’s coat so that they lie flat.

“Okay, you better get going or you’ll be late.”

Jim sighs resigned. “Alright, alright.” He steps into Ben’s space again with a gleam in his eye. “One more kiss, to remember you by?”

A wicked grin steals across Ben’s face as he bends to capture Jim’s mouth in a slightly filthier kiss, licking his way into Jim’s mouth, holding him tight to his chest, a hand pressed between his shoulder blades. Pulling off, Ben daubs a little kiss to the tip of Jim’s nose and then releases him.

“Off you go, I’ll see you for lunch?”

Jim nods, slightly dazed. “Yes, lunch.”

Ben has a satisfied smile on his face, pleased with himself and his ability to dishevel Jim so thoroughly. As he turns to make his way back to bed, Jim presses the toe of his brogue down upon the edge of the trailing sheet pulling it away from Ben’s waist, revealing his trim hips, long legs, and beautiful backside. Ben looks at him over his shoulder with a sharp grin and shrugs a shoulder as he pours himself back into bed.

“Are you alright, Jim, you look a bit flushed suddenly.”

Jim groans but smiles nonetheless at Ben’s impishness. He bends down to gather up the discarded sheet and tosses it over Ben’s head with a laugh. Turning to go, he throws a little wave to Ben from the doorway. 

“See you after.” Jim pauses, then, and looks back longingly at their warm, rumpled bed and Ben, comfortably perched in the middle of it. “Okay, now I’m really going.” He turns and rushes from the room before he can change his mind. “I made you coffee, it’s in the kitchen.”

Ben’s heartfelt thanks and warm laughter follows him down the stairs and out the door. Jim smiles to himself as he closes the front door. It was only two hours after all.

\----

Once mass at St. Aiden’s was over, the afternoon passes quickly enough. When Jim had returned home after church, Ben has been all mysterious smiles and pleased glances until finally, two hours after lunch, he deems it time to go.

Ben had instructed Jim to wear his bathing costume under his clothes and so he’s is in their room unearthing his swimsuit from the bottom drawer of the bureau as Ben comes bounding up the stairs.

“Jim, do you think you should leave your ring here, what if it slips off while we’re out?”

He hovers anxiously as Jim finishes buttoning up his blue poplin shirt.

“We’re going to Curracloe then?” Jim twists the ring off his hand and places it carefully in the small ceramic dish on the bureau.

“Yes, but I’ll explain on the way,” Ben said as he tugs Jim from the room.

Down in the cloakroom, Ben collects two canvas tote bags and the beach umbrella they laboriously carted back from Italy with them. He hands one bag to Jim that contains nothing but blankets and beach towels, and the other bag, he carefully guards against Jim’s curious gaze. Jim holds the door for Ben so he can wrestle the unwieldy umbrella through the narrow doorway and out into the garden. He locks the back door securely and hurries to Ben’s side.

“So, Curracloe? What’s the occasion?”

Jim falls into step beside Ben as they cross the garden and enter the little wood behind the house. His fingers twitch with the urge to take Ben’s hand but he resists and shoves his hands deep into his trouser pockets. Ben catches the gesture out of the corner of his eye and steps closer so that their shoulders bump companionably as they walk.

“No occasion, really.” Ben shifts the bags and umbrella to his other shoulder. “I just thought that since we weren’t able to spend much time there last summer what with being in New York, and then before that when I was away, that perhaps we might spend more time there.” He glanced over at Jim with a small smile on his face. “You know, sort of reclaim the beach for ourselves, purge any ghosts associated with it.”

“Ah.” Jim is quiet as they break through the trees that form the barrier between their garden and the fields rolling away to the ocean. “That’s a good idea actually, really good.”

Ben smiles as they make their way across the windswept pastures. The wind whips briskly over the fields, pulling at their clothes and tousling their hair. Jim shivers at a particularly rigorous gust of wind - late April is just a bit too early to really be going to the beach but he can’t find fault with Ben’s plan, this is the first fine day they’ve seen in months. Ben slings his arm around Jim’s shoulders, guiding him into the shelter of his body, and Jim gladly nestles closer with a happy sigh. Ben leans down to press a kiss to his forehead.

Ten more minutes of easy walking brings them to the dunes that ring the beach. Ben releases Jim, who takes the beach umbrella from beneath Ben’s arm and begins the slow climb to the top.

When they reach the crest of the sandy dune, they stand for a minute, panting slightly with exertion, to admire the rugged beauty of the beach. Curracloe gleams brightly in the afternoon sun, the long expanse of pale sand beach sweeping away from them, curling towards the horizon. The steel-grey water tumbles to shore only to quickly retreat before crashing to shore once again in a never-ending rhythm. Jim shades his eyes as he peers down the beach - they seem to have the area to themselves at the moment. Ben sighs.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“It is.” Jim grins at him. “You’d never get a whole beach to yourself in New York or Italy, that’s for sure.” He extends his hand to Ben, who takes it promptly. “Shall we go?”

Ben nods and allows Jim to lead him down the bluff to the flat expanse of sand. They walk a few yards and finally settle on a spot where the sand is warm and dry and free of flotsam and jetsam tossed onto the beach by the tide.

They spread out blankets and shake out towels, setting up their little section of the beach nicely. Ben quickly moves one of the canvas tote bags out of Jim’s reach, it contains the mysterious secret to be revealed later. They shuck off their day clothes to reveal their bathing suits, a faint flush creeps across Jim’s cheeks as he looks his fill at Ben. Sometimes he can hardly believe this is his life. He bites his lip as Ben reaches up to pull the ties and pins out of his hair to let the mass of dark curls tumble over his shoulders. Ben’s black and red bathing suit clings in all the best places and his back arches prettily as his ruffles his fingers through his hair and then bends to gather up his discarded clothes. Jim turns away to busy himself with folding his own clothes and to hide his blushing cheeks.

Suddenly his legs are knocked out from under him and he’s scooped up and thrown over Ben’s shoulder. Staggering under the added weight, Ben wheels and hurtles toward the water, laughing devilishly.

“No!” Jim wails through his laughter. “The water will be cold!”

Ben tightens his grip on Jim’s slim hips as he dives both of them into the frigid water. Jim bobs to the surface with a cry. He wipes the water from his face then launches himself at Ben and they go toppling backward into the waves.

They chase and splash at each other in the shallows. Jim can’t help but laugh as Ben makes a grab for him and misses entirely ending up with a face-full of sea water. He feels bad for laughing after Ben sneezes several times so he wades over to offer a consoling pat on the back.

“Betrayer!” He shrieks as Ben suddenly whips his hands away from his face and catches Jim around the waist, falling backward into the water with Jim tightly wrapped in his arms.

“I’m not even a little bit sorry.” Ben laughs as they come up for air. Jim pushes his dripping hair out of his eyes and splashes Ben, a smile on his face nonetheless.

They float quietly on the waves then. Jim gazes up at the soft blue canopy of the sky, studded with downy white clouds. It’s a rare fine spring day in Enniscorthy, no rain appears to threaten their day out, and even though the water is chilly, Jim barely feels the nip of the cold water as he floats on the waves. He swishes his hand through the water, looking for Ben, and smiles when he feels Ben’s large hand close around his. They allow the rolling waves to nudge them towards the shore, content to simply exist in each other’s company.

When the tide pushes them to shore, Jim lets go of Ben’s hand to pull himself onto the beach. The waves purl around his waist as he settles back, one hand behind his head, the other lightly resting on his stomach. Ben inches closer, smiling down at him. Before he presses a kiss to Jim’s chilled lips, his eyes flick up and down the beach and seeing no one about, dips down to capture Jim in a kiss.

Jim sighs when Ben’s warm, plush mouth teases his. Ben lips and nibbles at Jim’s smiling mouth until Jim parts his lips, allowing Ben to deepen the kiss. Jim reaches up to twist his fingers in Ben’s dark, damp hair. He pulls him sharply down so that they’re pressed flush against each other, Jim can feel Ben’s heart beating a rapid tattoo in his chest. Ben gasps as Jim tugs on his hair again then releases him so that they can entwine their hands together. As Ben pushes their joined hands above Jim’s head he leans back and lets his eyes roam over Jim’s face, trailing from his heavily lidded eyes down to his lips. Jim arches and moans as Ben’s dark eyes burn like a brand and that familiar heat and hunger begins to pulse between his legs. Ben leans down again, gaze fixed on Jim’s lips when he suddenly sits up.

“We should get out of the water, your lips are turning blue!”

Jim groans at the loss of Ben’s body heat but holds out his hands so Ben can haul him to his feet. He shivers briefly in the breeze.

“When did it get so cold?”

Ben rubs his hands over Jim’s arms, trying to warm him up. “It’s not too bad, maybe the water is a bit cold for swimming, but the breeze is actually nice. It’s bracing.” He slings his arm around Jim’s shoulders, pulling him close for the walk back to their blankets.

“Bracing?” Jim giggles. “Only you would say that.” 

“But it is.” Ben insists as they walk up the shore to their blankets. “What a beautiful day.”  
Jim smiles, Ben’s sunny outlook was always so infectious. They scoop up their beach towels and together they gaze out at the iron-gray water as they squeeze the salt water out of their hair. Ben tosses his towel down onto the blanket.

“Let’s go for a walk, it’ll warm us up some more.”

They set out along the beach, following the gentle curve of the shore, toes digging into the bright white sand, the weak spring sun warm on their backs. As the sun dries Jim’s hair into a tangled mess, the saltwater makes his auburn hair stick out like a rooster’s tail. He rakes his fingers through it, trying to make it lay flat but to no avail. He eyes Ben, whose hair looks perfect despite the salt water. Topknot back in place, his hair sweeps elegantly up to the crown of his head, a few little curls escaping to feather around his face and along his neck. Ben senses his attention and turns to smile at him, pulling him into a one-armed hug briefly before releasing him.

A short way up the beach, they stop to collect some beach glass that Ben notices. The little fragments of blue and green glass have been pummelled smooth and round by the waves and the jeweled-tones stand out amid the other debris on the beach. Ben gathers the pieces of glass and pours them into Jim’s outstretched hands.

“For the garden.” He says with a smile.

Further on, they stop again to examine some long, odd-looking shells, scuffed brown on one side, but almost pearlescent on the other which provides the clues to allow Jim to identify them as razor clam shells. Ben makes an “ooh” of interest and steps away from Jim to carefully extricate a fragile sand dollar from a tangle of seaweed.

“Look at this.” He holds it out to Jim.

“How lucky to find one intact, they’re so breakable.” Jim slips the beach glass into his pocket and gently plucks the sand dollar from Ben’s palm. “People used to think these were mermaids’ coins.”

“Oh.” Ben looks charmed at the bit of folklore. “We’ll hold onto it for her then, in case she comes looking.”

They gather a few more shells - glossy scallop shells, striated fan-shaped shells, pale peach ones, purple oyster shells - before turning back towards their towels a way up the beach.

“So, what do you want to do this summer?”

“Do you think you’ll be tutoring at all?” Jim steps closer so he can press his shoulder against Ben’s. He shivers at the warmth of Ben’s skin as they brush together. “We can stay close to home, if so.”

“A couple of parents have talked to me about some extra lessons but I don’t expect it to be all summer. Maybe an afternoon or two a week?”

“Perhaps we could go see the Rock of Cashel and then drive down to Kinsale?” Jim allows himself to be pulled into the shelter of Ben’s body as he slings his arm around Jim’s shoulders. “I could probably ask Alistair to cover the pub for a night or two on his own.”

“You came up with that plan very quickly.” Ben grins into Jim’s temple, mouthing a sly kiss there. “Have you been planning to whisk me away for awhile now?”

“Maybe.” Jim counters. “I’ll never tell.”

“Well, that’s a challenge if ever I’ve heard one.”

Ben laughs to himself as they reach their towels and blankets and flops down. Jim carefully deposits his seaside treasures safely out of the way before settling beside Ben.

“You could invite Padme to come for a visit and show her around Enniscorthy.”

“I think she’d like that a lot.” Ben settles back on his elbows, head lolling back to grin up at Jim. “The last time I visited, she was very unsubtle with her hints about wanting to see the house.”

Jim lays back, hands folded on his belly. “That’s settled then - Padme should come for a visit, then we can go visit the southern coast for a bit.” He smiles up at the white clouds sweeping by on the breeze, content.

They spend the rest of the afternoon lounging around in the shade of their turquoise beach umbrella on the mostly deserted beach. Ben had brought their books, a deck of cards, and the newspaper so they could puzzle their way through the crossword. After being stumped multiple times by some difficult clues, Ben tosses the paper aside, lamenting that crosswords in Ireland were much harder than America. They take turns reading from Jim’s much-loved copy of _The Mysterious Affair at Styles_ , Ben making Jim fall about giggling at his atrocious English accent but eventually the majority of the reading falls to Jim and he finishes the chapter, his hand carding gently through Ben’s hair as he curls up beside Jim.

As the afternoon wears on and the sun begins to sink lower in the sky, they take a last plunge into the now-frigid water. Too cold now to play in for long, they race to the water’s edge, dive in, then scramble back to shore, laughing. Ben’s eyes glint like he’s plotting to pick Jim up and throw them both back into the water. Jim leans down to scoop up some seawater into his cupped hands.

“Don’t even think about it Ben Organa.” He grins as he holds up his cupped hands, saltwater leaking from between his fingers. “I won’t hesitate to splash you.”

Ben looks delighted as if he’d like nothing better, and he opens his mouth to make a saucy reply but a thin, reedy cry torn away by the wind and the patter of excited paws over the wet sand catch his attention. They turn in unison to see a small white and brown terrier, sharp ears pricked, tongue lolling out of its mouth, bounding excitedly toward them. A few yards behind the dog is a woman with her daughter, presumably the dog’s owners. The woman is holding the coiled up leash and the small girl has a short stick and a yellow ball, damp from playing with the dog on the beach.

The terrier dashes up to them, stubby tail wagging furiously, and Ben drops to his knees to present his knuckles for the little dog to sniff. He scratches behind the dog’s ears as the tail continues to wag so hard the dog’s hind end waggles back and forth. Jim crouches down and the dog leaps up, sandy paws balancing on his knees. He strokes the dog’s silky ears and smiles over at Ben. As Ben ruffles the scruffy fur at the dog’s neck, Jim grasps the tag hanging from the collar and turns it the right way around - Buddy - it reads.

The little girl and her mother eventually catch up to their excitable dog and they exchange pleasantries with Jim and Ben while Buddy dances around their feet. After a few minutes, they say their farewells and head off up the beach, Buddy racing far ahead of them again. 

Ben steers Jim back towards their blankets, hands warm and secure on Jim’s shoulders.

“Cute dog.” Ben murmurs as they sit down on the blanket. He slings Jim’s towel around his shoulders before retrieving his own to press the water out of his hair. “Makes me miss having a pet - growing up, Rey and I had this Great Dane named Baze, he was such a good dog. So gentle and so protective of Rey, he used to let her ride around on his back.”

“You must have spent a lot of time at the park with him, a big dog like that, wouldn’t he need to get out to run?”

“We did, especially in the summer. He used to let us dress him up in costumes - a dragon for Halloween, a reindeer for Christmas. He was a good friend.”

“How sweet.” Jim laughs, thoroughly charmed. “Unfortunately, I never had any pets growing up - I always wanted a cat but my mother was very allergic. And dogs were out of the question, too much work my father said.”

Ben wraps his towel around his shoulders as he shuffles over to sit behind Jim. He plucks the towel from around Jim’s shoulders and gently dries his hair. “That’s a shame. Did you ever think about getting a cat once your parents moved to Glenbrien?”

“I did but there never seemed to be enough time to get it sorted out, and now I have you.”

Ben drops the damp towel beside Jim then wraps his arms around his shoulders and presses his face into Jim’s shoulder and laughs and laughs. He dots little chaste kisses down Jim’s neck then hooks his chin over his shoulder and hugs him closer.

“I’m glad that I’m worth at least one cat to you!”

Jim groans as he buries his face in his hands, smiling nonetheless. “You know what I mean.” He twists around to grin at Ben. “You’re infinitely better company, you like cuddling just as much, and you probably make a better Irish coddle than any cat.”

Ben smiles back, his face open and relaxed, his eyes full of adoration. “I am all those things.”

“You are, and more.” Jim presses a quick kiss to Ben’s smiling mouth, mindful of where they are. “I love you.”

“I know,” Ben whispers back, resting his forehead against Jim’s.

Jim cups Ben’s cheek, stroking his thumb over Ben’s high cheekbone. “Should we head back, it’ll be getting dark soon.”

“Not yet.” Ben sits up. “The actual surprise is yet to come.” He lurches to his feet, holding out his hands for Jim. “Help me look for stuff to make a fire.”

He hauls Jim to his feet and they slip on their button-up shirts against the early evening chill, then scour the surrounding beach and dunes for suitable kindling. They scrabble up the sandy dunes, gathering a few random twigs, Jim collects a handful of dried out seagrass, while Ben finds some small pieces of driftwood, pushed high upon the beach by the waves.

Back at their blankets, Ben sets about constructing the perfect campfire. While he works on that, Jim takes down the umbrella so it doesn’t blow away in the breeze then he sits back to watch Ben work. He leans back on his hands, eyes roaming over Ben’s hunched form as he meticulously constructs a ring of stones, then the small tented structure with the broken up twigs. Jim’s eyes are drawn out to sea where the sun dips lower and lower into the horizon, the sky painted brilliantly in oranges and reds. A flock of seabirds swoop and wheel their way inland, looking forward to their roosts for the night. A soft “aha” from Ben pulls his attention back to the here and now and he looks down to see that Ben has managed coax the fire to life, a weak flame dances and flickers from within the nest of twigs and seagrass.

“Now,” Ben glances up at him with a smile, “time for the real treat.”

He pulls one of the canvas bags towards himself and fishes around inside, extracting a box of biscuits, a bag of fluffy white marshmallows, and a large bar of Cadbury's chocolate, its purple and gold wrapper catching and reflecting the firelight.

“What’s all this?”

Ben grins. “Have you ever had ‘smores? They’re absolutely crucial to the enjoyment of a good campfire.”

“I can’t say that I have,” Jim replies. “And you didn’t buy all this from Nettles Kelly’s shop, did you? You know she overcharges for everything.”

“Don’t worry,” Ben says with a laugh, holding up his hand. “I went to Sheridan’s.” He tears open the box of digestive biscuits and holds it out to Jim. “These should really be graham crackers, but I couldn’t find them anywhere. Take two.”

Jim takes the directed two biscuits, then accepts the square of chocolate Ben breaks off for him. 

“Okay, so you put the chocolate on one of the cookies, like this.” Ben demonstrates, blushing when Jim giggles over his American slang. “And now we need the marshmallows next.”

He tears into the bag of marshmallows, sneaking one he pops it into his mouth and hums in satisfaction, eyes drifting closed.

“Tastes exactly the same as they did when I was a kid.”

He holds the bag out to Jim, who takes one and delicately takes a small bite. He frowns over the powdery taste and odd springy texture but Ben looks so enraptured that he keeps chewing gamely.

“Alright, now we just need to toast the marshmallows, and then we’re done.”

Ben hands one of the leftover sticks to Jim, then holds out the bag, shaking it slightly to encourage him. Following Ben’s lead, Jim skewers the marshmallow on the stick then holds it over the cheerily crackling fire. When the snowy confection becomes toasted and melty, Ben shows Jim how to scoop it onto the chocolate and biscuit base, then he tops it off with another digestive biscuit and mashes it all together into a sweet-smelling, melted sugary sandwich. 

“Oh,” Jim mumbles through a mouthful of chocolately bliss. “This is good.” He swipes his tongue along the side of his hand where the chocolate and marshmallow goop is dribbling down. “You had these often when you were young?”

Ben smiles as he darts his thumb across the corner of Jim’s mouth, wiping away a bit of chocolate there. He swipes his tongue across the pad of his thumb, licking up the smudge of chocolate. The firelight reflects warmly in his deep brown eyes and dances across his face, the shadows throwing his distinctive features into sharp contrast. Ben nods.

“Every summer when we’d go to our cottage in the Catskills we’d have a final campfire of the summer if the risk for forest fires wasn’t too great, and we’d have ‘smores, tell ghost stories. It was nice.”

“Just you and your parents?” Jim asks, popping the final bites of his ‘smore into his mouth and shuffling to sit closer to Ben. He lays his head on Ben’s shoulder and watches the fire, entranced by the sparks floating upwards into the twilight night.

“Yeah, mostly just Han and Leia and myself. But Uncle Luke and Rey came with us every other year, Uncle Lando, and even Finn in the last few summers before I moved to California.”

“Sounds nice.” Jim sighs as he snuggles closer. Ben tugs him tighter to his side, hand drifting down to close around his hip. “We never did anything like that.”

“It was.” Ben presses a kiss to Jim’s temple. “My family isn’t perfect, but we did have some nice moments.”

Jim hums softly, melting into Ben’s side. They quietly watch the sunset and the tide roars dully as it rolls and crashes to shore. When the sun has finally disappeared beyond the horizon, the sky slowly fades to a soft pink then the stars begin to peek out from between the clouds, speckling the sky with their brilliance. The last strands of clouds finally blow away in the breeze leaving the velvety night sky unobscured overhead. As the fire dwindles away, Ben tips Jim’s face up to his, pressing a gentle kiss to his sweetly curving mouth.

“Shall we go?”

Jim nods drowsily, eyes heavy but heart light. They help each other to their feet and pull on their trousers over their sun-dried bathing suits. Jim packs their towels and blankets, books and food into the canvas bags as Ben thoroughly kicks sand over the fire, ensuring that it is smothered out of existence.

They gather up their bags and clamber up and over the dunes. Arm in arm they head across the fields toward home, heads together, whispering about plans for dinner, plans for the summer, and stealing sticky sweet kisses from each other in the dark.

\----

It’s a fine May day as Jim is signing for the three new cases of whiskey that the delivery man has dropped off when he catches a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. Glancing toward the mouth of the alley, he sees Ben trotting towards him, a broad smile on his face. Scribbling his signature with a flourish, he hands the clipboard back to the other man then shakes his hand.

“See you in a fortnight, Will.”

Will nods, waving over his shoulder as he returns to his truck parked a few steps away at the other end of the alley.

Jim turns to Ben with a smile.

“This is a nice surprise. How was school today?”

Ben bustles up beside Jim, reaching to squeeze his shoulder affectionately. “First rate, as always.” He smiles. “They’re all amazing, their little minds absorb so much information so quickly. Two of them asked if I could give them a list of books they could read for fun over the summer!”

Jim grins as he nods at one of the cases of whiskey. “Help me with these, will you?” He hefts one into his arms as Ben takes up another. “Well, they have a first-rate teacher so it’s no wonder they’re excelling.”

They haul the boxes into the storage room and Ben returns to the alley to bring in the last box. Jim follows him to close and lock the delivery entrance.

“Heh, maybe.” Ben scrubs at the back of his head, self-consciously.

“Careful, Ben, I think you’re blushing.” Jim smiles up into his face as he tries to squeak by Ben in the narrow hallway. Ben snags his hand and pulls him back into an embrace.

“God, I missed you today.”

Jim lets himself relax into Ben’s comfortable embrace. “I didn’t expect to see you until tea. What’s the occasion?”

Ben kisses the tip of his nose and holds him by his shoulders, beaming. “Do you have a few minutes to spare? Can you come for a short walk with me?”

“Of course.”

Jim follows Ben through the storage area and out into the main part of the bar. Going to his jacket crumpled on top of the long bar, Jim rummages for the pub keys in the pocket. Finally fishing out the keys, they leave by the main door, Jim carefully locking the heavy wooden doors behind them. Ben motions to him, and they turn and head up the street.

After making a few turns, they come to a street with neat, little row houses all with well-tended flower boxes overflowing with colourful blooms. Ben hops up the steps to No. 7 and raps smartly on the red door. Thundering footfalls come hurtling toward them and the door is enthusiastically flung open by a small girl with a tangle of wild black curls. Her slightly older sister follows a few steps behind wearing what appears to be her mother’s shoes. They’re both wearing the navy and burgundy uniform of Vinegar Hill Preparatory so Jim assumes the smallest girl must be one of Ben’s students.

“Mr. Organa!” The smallest girl shouts enthusiastically, jumping up and down, curls bouncing madly. “Are you here about the--”

“Carmel!” Ben quickly raises a finger to his lips. “It’s a surprise, don’t forget! Is your mother home?”

Carmel dramatically claps her hands over her mouth, eyes dancing, as her sister kicks off her mother’s shoes and joins Carmel in her excited bouncing.

“What ‘till you see them, Mr. Organa, they’re so cute! And Mum won’t let us keep them all!”

“Lizzie, hush!” Carmel admonishes her. “It’s a surprise.”

All three of them turn in unison to look at Jim - the girls with laughing eyes, Ben a mixture of smug and sheepish. Jim’s gaze bounces between them all, lost for words.

“Carmel,” Ben reminds gently, “your mother?”

“Oh, right.” She wheels, dragging her sister with her down the hall. “Mum! Mr. Organa is here!” She all but screams the last word in a sing-song voice as they disappear around the corner.

As their thunderous footsteps disappear, Jim turns to Ben with a raised eyebrow.

“What’s going on here?”

“You’ll see soon enough,” Ben replied with a satisfied smile.

Moments later a petite woman with dark curls like her daughter hurries down the hall, a frazzled smile on her face.

“Mr. Organa, and Mr. Farrell, how nice to see you again.” She pats Ben on the shoulder. “Carmel is very excited about the potential excursion to Dublin to see the museum.”

“Ah, Mrs. Nolan, you’re too kind. I hope the headmistress will approve the trip soon, we just need a couple more people to volunteer as chaperones.”

“I would if I could but it would be too difficult with the baby.” She urges Ben down the hall, with Jim following. “Turn to the left.” She instructs as they get to the end.

Ben, followed by Jim, heads down the hall, turning into the busy kitchen. A baby sits in a wooden highchair, happily banging a small toy horse around the chair’s tray. He smiles a gummy smile at Jim and Ben as they enter the room, breaking into babyish giggling when he sees his mother.

“Just through there.” She points towards a small cloakroom. Jim can hear the whispers and giggles of Carmel and Lizzie in the back. He follows Ben into the cloakroom and sees the girls crouched around a large cardboard box. Jim leans over them to peer in and is enchanted to see a pretty calico cat with four small kittens.

“Oh.” He whispers and smiles shyly up at Ben. “You remembered.”

“Of course.” Ben grins back, eyes soft and dark. “Carmel was excited to tell me all about the new kittens when they were born a few weeks ago.”

“Mum says we can only keep one.” Carmel pouts. “It’s so hard to choose, but I think we’ll keep that one.” She points to a fluffy gray kitten.

Charmed, Jim crouches down beside the girls. A calico kitten, with similar colouring to her mother, puts her small paws up on the edge of the box and mews at Jim in her little kittenish voice.

“May I…?” Jim gestures to the kitten.

“You can pick her up,” Lizzie confirms. “Here, like this.”

She gently demonstrates how to pick up the delicate kitten and she places her in Jim’s hands. Jim slowly rises to his feet so that Ben can better see the kitten. The calico kitten snuggles close for a second then begins to claw her way up Jim’s arm to perch on his shoulder. Ben laughs.

“I think maybe she’s the one.”

“I think so.” Jim reaches up to scritch the kitten under her chin. She leans into it, purring. “When can they leave their mother?”

“Next week, I think, or the week after.” Mrs. Nolan answers from the doorway. “They’re already weaned, we’re just making sure it sticks before we give them away.”

Jim turns his shoulder toward Ben so he can carefully detach the tiny animal from the fabric of Jim’s shirt. Ben holds her gently in his large hands as she batts playfully at his shiny brass cufflinks. “Are they all spoken for?”

“Almost.” She replies. “We’ll keep the gray one, the calico is yours now, the black and white one is going to a neighbour.”

“Mrs. Ryan says we can come and visit, so it’s like we get to keep two,” Carmel announces proudly.

“And the black one with the white socks is still looking for a home.”

“Hopefully she finds a home soon.” Jim takes the calico kitten from Ben. Scratching her behind her little ears, Jim gently sets her back in the box with her family.

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll have no trouble finding her a home.” Ms. Nolan reassures them with a smile. “Milly is a wonderful mother and all her kittens always have the sweetest personalities.”

Jim’s kitten mews as he stands up. He smiles down at her, wishing she could come home with them now.

“So, Carmel will let me know when we can take the kitten home?” Ben hides a grin behind his hand as Carmel nods enthusiastically as she bounces around him.

Mrs. Nolan nods.

“Wonderful.” He looks at Jim with a smile. “Shall we go? You have to open the bar soon.”

“Yes, of course.” Jim’s heart flutters as Ben carefully presses his hand to Jim’s back to guide him out of the room after Carmel and Lizzie.

They follow the girls and Mrs. Nolan to the front door and say their goodbyes. Carmel emphatically promises Ben several times that she will tell him the minute their kitten is ready to come home. As they skip down the two stone steps, the door clicks closed behind them and they break out into laughter as they hear Carmel and Lizzie stampede away from the door.

Jim briefly presses close to Ben’s shoulder as they head up the street. Ben glances over to him with a small, secretive smile on his lips.

“Thank you, Ben, I can’t believe you remembered about the kitten.”

“Of course, anything for you.” Ben slows his stride so that they are meandering slowly back towards the bar. “It’ll be nice to have a little kitten, I’ve missed having a pet.” He bumps his shoulder against Jim’s, smiling.

They walk in companionable silence for a minute, enjoying each other’s company and the late afternoon sun. The narrow street is quiet, most people at home for tea, but Jim can hear some children at play in one of the gardens. A flock of tiny birds burst through the sky overhead and they wheel and dart in tight circles before disappearing behind the buildings on the other side of the street. Jim follows them with this eyes as they zip away into the bright blue sky. His gaze drops to the row house across the street. Music pours out of a window on the second floor of the house and the chorus of the song reminds him of his current musical project - the song he’s learning for Rey. He glances over at Ben’s happy, relaxed face, and links their arms.

“ _Step we gaily, on we go, heel for heel and toe for toe, arm in arm and row on row, all for Mairi’s wedding._ ”

Ben bursts into a broad smile as Jim sings the rhyme again, letting his clear voice ring out louder, reverberating off the stone buildings along the street. He does a bit of a high step, picking up the pace of their walking. Ben swings him in a circle, arms still linked.

“ _Over hillways, up and down, myrtle green and bracken brown, past the sheilings through the town, all for the sake of Mairi._ ”

Jim breaks off with a laugh as Ben stutter-steps them back a pace before looping his arm around Jim’s waist and promenading them again in a slow circle. Ben grins down at him with undisguised adoration and Jim’s heart feels full to bursting as Ben adds his unsure, off-key voice to Jim’s and they sing the chorus together.

“ _Step we gaily, on we go, heel for heel and toe for toe, arm in arm and row on row, all for Mairi’s wedding._ ”

They continue to make their way smartly towards Jim’s pub. As they turn the corner onto Castle Street, Ben swings Jim in a tight circle again as he laughs. They break apart but continue to walk briskly, Ben laughs as their heels strike the cobblestones in time with each other, creating a tapping rhythm in counterpoint to Jim’s singing. Encouraged by Ben’s bright eyes and his strutting, Jim really lets the next verse of the song ring out. His clear voice filling the street with his happiness.

“ _Plenty herring, plenty meal, plenty peat to fill the creel, plenty bonny bairns as well, that’s the toast for Mairi._ ”

Arriving at his pub, they collapse against the doors in a fit of giggles as they receive stern looks from a passerby on the street for making too much noise. Jim pulls the ring of keys from his pocket and unlocks the door to hustle Ben inside. Closing the door firmly behind them, he presses Ben up against the door and tangles his hands in the damp curls that have tumbled out of Ben’s work-appropriate top knot. He leans in so he can whisper the last verse of the song in Ben’s ear.

“ _Red his cheeks as rowans are, bright his eyes as any star, fairest of them all by far is my darling Benny._ ”

He nips at Ben’s ear then darts to press a kiss to the tip of his nose. Ben chases after him and pulls him into a deeper kiss. Jim sinks into the safety of Ben’s arms with a sigh.

\----

Two Tuesdays later find Jim at home in the kitchen, preparing the evening tea. Happily, Alistair has been eager to pick up some extra shifts at the pub of late in order to save for his upcoming wedding, so he has offered to take Jim’s place behind the bar which gives Jim a rare night off. Not that either of them expects a Tuesday night to be bustling.

Jim goes to the windows and flings them open them wide, allowing the warm spring air to fill the kitchen. The air smells so sweet this afternoon, so full of life. The fresh scents of the newly blooming flowers in the gardens beyond the window mingle with the briny, salty air carried upon the breeze from the ocean and flood Jim’s senses. He breathes deeply. Springtime in Enniscorthy is always so lovely as the land wakes from the long winter.

He turns away from the windows to begin preparing the vegetables for the cottage pie they would be having for dinner. He’s just finished chopping up the carrots and celery when he hears the rumble of his car out front. Jim scoops all the vegetables into a bowl and sets it aside, then takes the bag of potatoes to the sink to wash then peel. He hears Ben close the front door and step into the front parlour but his uneven, heavy tread catches Jim’s attention. After giving his hands a quick rinse in the sink, he hurries into the parlour to see what Ben’s up too.

Jim peeks around the doorframe to see Ben gently set a cardboard box down on the low coffee table. Jim draws a sharp intake of breath as a small pair of ears perk up above the lip of the box. Ben turns with a smile.

“Look who’s here.”

Jim crosses the room in two long strides to slip his arm around Ben’s waist. He leans into Ben’s hand as he tips Jim’s face up to kiss him hello.

“I see Carmel spoke to you today?”

Ben smiles, eyes bright. “She sure did. I had to promise she could come visit the kitten, she looked so heartbroken to give her up.”

Jim turned to observe the small kitten sitting primly in the centre of the box blinking up at them with enormous amber eyes. He huffs a quiet laugh as he turns back to Ben.

“Of course she can come visit, anytime she wants.”

Ben hugs him close for a moment before releasing him so he can carefully dip his hands into the box and gently lift out the calico kitten, much grown since the last time Jim saw her. Cradling her in his large hands, he gently places her in Jim’s arms but she promptly scrambles to be released. Jim grits his teeth as she carelessly claws her way up his arm to perch on his shoulder. Ben laughs.

“For your sake, I hope she doesn’t grow much bigger.”

Jim scritches the kitten under her chin, her pleased purr rattles in her throat as she closes her eyes. Ben draws close, slipping his hand around the back of Jim’s neck and sliding his fingers into Jim’s soft hair. He squeezes gently at the nape of Jim’s neck.

“What should her name be? Fluffy? Mittens?”

He laughs as Jim pulls a face at his choices. He plants a kiss to Jim’s temple as he tickles the kitten behind her small ears. Jim turns to regard the small kitten on his shoulder.

“How about Tilly? Short for Matilda?”

“I like it.”

Jim presses a soft kiss to Ben’s smiling mouth then carefully removes Tilly from his shoulder and sets her on the floor so she can begin to explore her new home. She yawns widely.

“Welcome to the family, Tilly.”


End file.
